Advocate Training

Advocates for people with low income are change agents, community organizers, and trusted champions. Their work is broad, nuanced, and grand — and they cannot do it alone.

We believe that building the skills and capacity of advocates for low-income people will result in bigger, better, and bolder gains for people living in poverty.

The Shriver Center’s Advocate Resources and Training program offers the specialized training and leadership development equal justice advocates need to obtain bigger, better, and bolder gains for their clients. Rooted in social justice and racial equity values, our training programs are designed to foster innovation and collaboration while building advocates' skills and capacities. And our Clearinghouse Community offers advocates a place to connect with one another and find important tools and resources to advance their work.

2018 Racial Justice Training Institute Cohort Announced
We're excited to announce that 43 staff from Legal Services NYC (LSNYC), the largest civil legal services provider in the country, will comprise the fifth cohort of advocates to participate in the Shriver Center’s Racial Justice Training Institute (RJTI)! The RJTI has historically brought together a select group of advocates from around the country each year through a competitive application process. But in recognition of the growing importance of state- and local-level advocacy, and the critical need for organizational investment in this type of work, this year’s training marks the launch of a pilot model that aims to equip an entire organization to more effectively advance racial equity, both internally and externally. LSNYC—with its long history of fighting poverty in one of our nation's most ethnically and racially diverse cities—is ideally situated to both help shape the development of the pilot program and further the mission of the RJTI through their advocacy and policy work.

Sharpen Your Advocacy Skills in 2018
As the stakes of anti-poverty and racial justice advocacy continue to grow, we’re happy to announce our course offerings for 2018. Use the New Year to bolster your supervisory, leadership, advocacy, community lawyering, and conflict management skills. In addition to our public courses, we also contract with legal aid and civil rights organizations to offer private, customized trainings. Note: Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits available upon completion of each course.